A simple pad question
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 913
Likes: 7
A simple pad question
I have used the Lake County white pad for years to apply my Z5 and the blue finess pad to apply my Z2. So, would it be a good idea to change and use the blue pad to apply my Z5? I am no longer going to use Z2. I use the LC orange pad to apply my Meguaires #9 so I will continue to use that, but was wondering should I just stay with my white pad to apply Z5 or change to the blue pad? What benefit would I be gaining, if any?
Comments......
Comments......
Last edited by c6vetteinhouston; Sep 27, 2011 at 01:49 PM.
Former Vendor
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 14,104
Likes: 244
From: South Florida
its depends on the line and pad type specifically. You will generally want to use a non abrasive pad when applying a paint sealant. Glazes, depending on if they have abrasives or not (term glaze used loosely) will determine pad choice.
Some Lake Country pads are actually quite abrasive (orange CCS) or considered medium (white CCS) pads. Unfortunately all manufacturers color code differently adding to the issue.
Some Lake Country pads are actually quite abrasive (orange CCS) or considered medium (white CCS) pads. Unfortunately all manufacturers color code differently adding to the issue.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,909
Likes: 4
From: Ponte Vedra Beach / London State: Dazed and confused
A not so simple answer... 
The foam pad is attached to the machine with a Velcro backing plate; product is then applied to the foam pad. Clean foam pads soon after use, if left saturated for extended periods of time the chemicals used in polish will cause the foam to deteriorate.
Between wool and foam pads, in general, wool pads are considered "cutting" in nature, they also produce less friction induced heat than foam. That is, the fibres of the wool pad "cut" into the paint, removing top layers of paint much more rapidly than foam pads, which do a relatively small amount of cutting but instead rely on greater kinetic friction to do their work.
Purple Foamed Wool (*Purple) - these cutting foam pads are typically used on rotary buffers, but can also be used on a dual action buffer or random orbital. What makes them so effective on a rotary buffer is that it offers lots of cutting power with less risk of damaging the clear coat
Compound/ Heavy Cutting Pad (*Yellow) - a harder more dense open cell pre-polymer foam (70 PPI) composition with an abrasive cutting action, for use with a medium abrasive polish
Light Cutting / Polishing Pad (*Orange) - a middle range, high density open cell pre-polymer foam (75 PPI) composition with a medium abrasive light to heavy polishing cutting action
Medium Cutting / Polishing Pad (*Green) - high density open cell polyurethane foam (80 PPI) composition with a medium abrasive cutting action
Polish / Waxing Pad (*White) - a softer less dense blended pre-polymer foam (75 PPI) composition with a light abrasive cutting action
Light Polishing Pad (*Black) - an ultra-smooth open cell polyurethane foam (75 PPI) composition that has very minor abrasive cutting ability
Finishing Pad (* Red) - this open cell polyurethane foam (80 PPI) pad has no cutting or cleaning action but is softer foam than the black pad. It should be used for paint burnishing or to apply a glaze or a finessing polish.
Finessing Pad (* Blue) soft enough composition (85PPI) for applying glazes, sealants and liquid waxes or burnishing paint
Jewelling Pad (* Gold) -this foam is 40% softer than the red making it the best pad for applying your finishing wax or sealant, and for use as a jewelling pad with a fine finishing polish.
Difference between these pads (Red, Blue and Black) is their compressibility
*These colour identifications are for Lake County Manufacturing (LC) foam pads.
There is no common standard colour system used to identify the abrasiveness of foam each manufacturer uses their own colour identification system.
The foam pad is attached to the machine with a Velcro backing plate; product is then applied to the foam pad. Clean foam pads soon after use, if left saturated for extended periods of time the chemicals used in polish will cause the foam to deteriorate.
Between wool and foam pads, in general, wool pads are considered "cutting" in nature, they also produce less friction induced heat than foam. That is, the fibres of the wool pad "cut" into the paint, removing top layers of paint much more rapidly than foam pads, which do a relatively small amount of cutting but instead rely on greater kinetic friction to do their work.
Purple Foamed Wool (*Purple) - these cutting foam pads are typically used on rotary buffers, but can also be used on a dual action buffer or random orbital. What makes them so effective on a rotary buffer is that it offers lots of cutting power with less risk of damaging the clear coat
Compound/ Heavy Cutting Pad (*Yellow) - a harder more dense open cell pre-polymer foam (70 PPI) composition with an abrasive cutting action, for use with a medium abrasive polish
Light Cutting / Polishing Pad (*Orange) - a middle range, high density open cell pre-polymer foam (75 PPI) composition with a medium abrasive light to heavy polishing cutting action
Medium Cutting / Polishing Pad (*Green) - high density open cell polyurethane foam (80 PPI) composition with a medium abrasive cutting action
Polish / Waxing Pad (*White) - a softer less dense blended pre-polymer foam (75 PPI) composition with a light abrasive cutting action
Light Polishing Pad (*Black) - an ultra-smooth open cell polyurethane foam (75 PPI) composition that has very minor abrasive cutting ability
Finishing Pad (* Red) - this open cell polyurethane foam (80 PPI) pad has no cutting or cleaning action but is softer foam than the black pad. It should be used for paint burnishing or to apply a glaze or a finessing polish.
Finessing Pad (* Blue) soft enough composition (85PPI) for applying glazes, sealants and liquid waxes or burnishing paint
Jewelling Pad (* Gold) -this foam is 40% softer than the red making it the best pad for applying your finishing wax or sealant, and for use as a jewelling pad with a fine finishing polish.
Difference between these pads (Red, Blue and Black) is their compressibility
*These colour identifications are for Lake County Manufacturing (LC) foam pads.
There is no common standard colour system used to identify the abrasiveness of foam each manufacturer uses their own colour identification system.
Last edited by TOGWT; Sep 28, 2011 at 05:38 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 8,744
Likes: 2
From: The King of Bling
St. Jude Donor '10
You want the softest finishing pad you can get to apply both your z2p and z5p. With that said I would use the blue pad. I am pretty sure that the white pad is more of a final polishing pad than a finishing pad that is used primarily for applying a LSP.
